Worcester, Mass--“Don’t give up. Keep going. We’re here to have fun and play some good hockey,” said Maebh Pinto.  

It’s been the motto of the week for the Junior Crusaders hockey team as they compete for the chance at a national title.

“It’s a really cool experience to be down here and getting to see a bunch of other girls going the same thing,” said Elaina Warren. 

After a stellar performance at the state tournament, this team of 15 young athletes flew to Coral Springs, Florida for the USA Hockey National Championship.

“I couldn’t be more proud of these girls, “ head coach Essek Petrie said. “A lot of this group has been together for at least eight or nine years.”

This is the first time in the Junior Crusaders Youth Hockey Association’s history that a team has made it this far. Seventh, eighth and ninth graders from across central Massachusetts are now representing their home state against stiff competition from around the country.

“We are going to see a lot of great hockey from states across the country, but I do feel that new England hockey and Massachusetts hockey in particular represents some of the strongest girl’s hockey in the country,” Petrie said. 

Between surgeries and injuries, the team overcame a number of challenges but never let it stop them for working hard and competing at the highest level.

“The girls have battled through and really stuck together and turned it on when they needed to,” Petrie said. “They play as a team. Everything is done as a team. We don’t rely on one or two all-stars. All the girls work hard and work together.”

While the first two games of the week didn’t go as planned for the Junior Crusaders, the team said it’s all about staying positive and remembering the incredible season that got them to where they are.

“I’m proud that we didn’t give up and preserved through,” Pinto said. 

“Go out. Play your game. Whatever happens, happens,” Warren said. “As long as we are having fun, that’s all that matters.”